Post Covid chest tightness, pressure in throat, dizziness, SOB

I had COVID on 6 January. I literally thought I was going to die. I went to the emergency room the next day and tested positive for it. No hospitalization, fortunately.

Ever since January, I have noticed that I wheeze more, have uncontrollable coughing fits, and random chest pains. I told my primary care doctor and he said that when he and his wife visited Europe last year, he got it, but his wife did not.

He said he still has some side effects to this day.

If people really think it’s just a little cold/flu, I have this to say to them. “Maybe, but a cold doesn’t leave you with residual side effects.”

First of all im sorry your mom is going through this. It's exhausting and frightening. I had Covid April 2022. I was not hospitalized but was quite sick. Lasted about 2 weeks. 6 weeks after Covid I started getting heart palpitations. Later to be known as Long Haul Covid. I am 63. I was watching a movie with my husband at the beginning of my long haul Covid and my heart felt like it was jumping out of my chest. I was light headed. My fingers were tingly. I thought I was having a heart attack. I checked my blood pressure, its was 156/123. I told my husband to bring me to ER immediately. A very long story trying to make short... since then I have been in the hospital 6 times. 4 times admitted to cardiac the other two overnight in ER. I am a competitive tennis player and have never had any health issues. My blood pressure is usually to low. The hospital over the 6 times did echo's, MRI with and without dye, ultasound on my chest neck and legs (to make sure there is not a blood clot) and a CAT scan on my head. The last visit 3 months ago they kept me for 3 nights and did many of these tests again. The results; perfectly healthy heart. It's baffling and again frightening. My side of my face at one time went numb. That warranted another trip to ER by ambulance. That time I thought it was a stroke. Again they found nothing. I was beginning to thing they were incompetent or I was nuts!
The last 2 months I thought I was over long Covid. I have read several things saying it can last up to a year. I have had these issues for a year in April. I believed I was in the clear.
Last week I hired a trainer at a gym 2 days a week so if something were to go wrong they would be right there with me, and I could use their help. I went 1 day doing legs, I was fine. I went again on Friday and did upper body. 20 minutes intro the training I felt lightheadedness as well as my heart started beating rapidly I had chest pain, I stopped immediately, but the issues did not. Since then I am back to where I was with the same health issues. My resting heart rate yesterday was 115. Normally 82, give or take. My heart as I write this is out of control beating rapidly. I have over the past year read many articles from reputable sites on long Covid. They are learning more about this as time goes on. When I first had it I had no idea what was going on with me because it was not talked about publicly because they did not have a name for it. I never had issues with my lungs " thank you God" I do have very sharp pains randomly throughput my body. I had sharp pains in my head that I later learned were ice pick headaches. They are gone. I am writing all of this in your reply hoping to give you some understanding of what some people are experiencing after Covid. Also hopefully somehow it may help others to understand they are not alone. I felt in the beginning I was the only one in the world that had whatever I had because noone understood. The ER nurse had a nerve to say " maybe it's in your head... have you been drinking tonight? I was furious! I have a drink at the MOST once a month, and that is socially. Believe me I really felt alone after that comment.
I hope this helps. 🙏🏻

I had Covid BAD about two years ago and had symptoms similar to your mom’s that lasted a while (I was 56 at the time). Now I’m fine.

I’m now over 38 months POST COVID and I had all the same symptoms as your dear 80 year old mother.

My advice may seem too simple to make a difference, but all these steps really did help me with TIME!

Quote: TIME truly is the BEST HEALER of ALL!

First, thing she can do is truly REST! Sleep is the body’s way to rejuvenate itself. COVID attacked my adrenals and zapped my energy for years!!!

Please help your dear mother realize COVID recovery is NOT something you can PUSH thru!!!

Time • Rest • Healthy Eating • are what is required…

Second, vitamin supplements have been extremely helpful for me. I have a wicked low vitamin D and vitamin K issue so, getting outside and just sitting in the sun helped me a good bit too.

And since your mother is use to being outside in the sun walking this is a great alternative. I choose not to wear a hat nor sunglasses. I’d go out three to five times a day for 15-30 minutes each time.

Vitamin B-12 complex, along with heavy dosages vitamin C throughout the day using two packets of Emergent C drinks - either cold or hot - water three times daily, plus vitamins A and E, all helped as well.

Third, for me was a diet of very low carbs and sugars and high in proteins helped tremendously! It reduced the inflammation I suffered with my COVID and allowed my body to re-energize from the inside out. It took over a full year to notice these subtle changes, but it ended up helping me a lot. Think KETO.

I also learned shellfish and cashews are all inflammation triggers for me!

Finally, positivity and laughter helped. I watched comedy of all types. They say: Laughter is the Best Medicine and it really worked for me!

Find things that tickle your mother’s funny bone and get her laughing as much as possible - with time it helps too.

I’ll add this one last thing…
At one point I thought I was surely going to die. My COVID symptoms, especially the tightness of my chest and my heart racing - I was a sure I would die from a heart attack. I was so tired and worn out both physically and mentally- I remember thinking: Bring it on God - I’m ready to go home

It felt like my heart was beating out-of-my-chest and the tightness in my throat made it hard to breathe and even swallow. Later, I learned that was all from inflammation and the KETO diet helped that a lot too!

It was so bad in November-December 2019 and on into January of 2020, I was sure I was having a heart attack! Later, I learned - I did suffered two benign heart issues with both PVCs and PACs.

Your mother may have had those same fears and thoughts and mentally is now ‘different’ - feeling like she faced death and did not pass. It changed me mentally!!

Reminiscing with her positive past memories MIGHT help her adjust back mentally. Invite family and friends to come visit and ask them to come prepared to share FUN - Happy memories and ONLY bring healthy foods to eat!

It is an unfortunate issue with COVID that forces us all to realize we are not immortal!

Hopefully, these suggestions will make a difference for her! God bless.

Thank you for sharing this. I was a healthy 40- 41 year old before this. I would work 12+ hours a day 6 days a week in a physically demanding job before this. I have had a similar resting heart rate of 115. If I lay down, my heart rate will go back down to 80-90. On the days I don't feel good, my heartrate will go from 80-90 to 145-150 just walking 15' feet to the bathroom or kitchen. I have been hesitant to go to the emergency room because of being judged that is all in my head. It is so hard to know how much to do in a day, without going backwards for so many days. A good day for me is now 4-5 hours of light work or deskwork. You are not alone.

Thank you for your reply. I thank God for my wonderful, patient, understanding husband. I believe this to shall pass. Hang in there I know this is scary. Many nights when I went to bed I questioned if I was going to wake up.
This surely makes you think differently ( I am not referring to brain fog, that comes and goes) i'm referring to my appreciation of life and my realization that life is short, enjoy every day, every moment. I no longer feel alone as thousands of people have came forward with similar issues. I am getting better. I have to take my time and ease into anything physical tennis, gym etc. You take care of yourself and be kind to yourself.

Thanks for sharing. I have had long-covid symptoms similar to yours for 9+ months. Was a very active pickleball player before this all happened. Thanks for your story and encouragement. Hang in there.

I'm sorry you are experiencing this as well. Many people do not understand unless there is a person close to them that is dealing with this or like yourself, living it. I will never give advise as I am not a doctor and everyone is experiencing many different symptoms. But if you feel you need to go to ER, go. Don't think about their judgment. They work for you, you are paying them. Hang in there I keep telling myself " this to shall pass" 💙

I am going on 9 months of long covid now. I am 50, but when I got covid I was extremely fit and was running 3x/week and rock climbing 3x/week. I was fully vaxed and boosted when I got it. My covid symptoms were not bad, felt like a basic cold. But what it did on day one was immediately attack my knees and give me chronic constipation. I was in a wheelchair by the end of the week and for about 3 months after from the severe knee pain. It was awful. About 2 months out I came down with double plantar fasciitis, double hip pain, severe heart palpitations and tingling sensations throughout my body. About 4 months out torso jolts at night were added to the list and double shoulder pain. I could hardly function. None of the dozen or so specialists I saw even seemed to care, and they all tried to convince me that this is what happens when you get to be 50. None of them wanted to be problem solvers, and they all just wanted to throw meds at me.
Finally at the beginning of January, I saw a new rheumatologist who quickly diagnosed me with long covid and put me on a 3-week course of prednisone. It completely took away all of my pain and man what a difference it made for me. It also made me realize just how extreme the amount of pain was, which I had learned to live with. At the same time I was on the prednisone, I got a big food sensitivity blood work test done that tested 240 things. So I cut out all of the foods that came back moderate to high. When my prednisone course was finished, my pain started creeping back and I was having good days and bad days. So in addition to cutting out my food sensitivities, I decided last month to adopt the full anti-inflammatory diet— cutting out all sugar, gluten, caffeine, and alcohol, and can now say I am doing great! My knees are almost back to normal, and all of my other pain is almost completely gone as well. My heart palpitations aren’t nearly as bad nor last as long, my torso jolts seem to be getting better too, and my body tingling is nearly gone. I still have chronic constipation, but magnesium supplements have kept it in check. I am hopeful that I can start exercising again soon.
Hang in there everyone! Hope my story and what is working for me helps others.

I am sorry you have had to endure so much. I am sure this devastated you. I'm glad your a fighter and did not accept this as your life. You have done everything to get well again. Good for you! I also was and am fully vaccinated. I at times have wondered what would have happened if I was not vaccinated. Be kind to yourself and take care. My thoughts are with you, you've got this!